Ahmed Huber
Ahmed Huber | |
|---|---|
| Born | Albert Friedrich Armand Huber 25 March 1927 Fribourg, Switzerland |
| Died | 15 May 2008 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | Conversion to Islam; involvement with Islamist and far-right movements; alleged financing of terrorism |
Ahmed Huber (born Albert Friedrich Armand Huber; 25 March 1927 – 15 May 2008) was a Swiss-German journalist who converted to Islam and was active within both Islamist circles and the far-right, including involvement with Neo-Nazism. He attracted global attention in 2001 after the US government accused him of channeling funds to Al Qaeda via the Al Taqwa Bank, where he served as one of five directors.
Early life and education
Huber was born in 1927 in Fribourg, Switzerland, into a family with strong Protestant roots.
Career
Initially, Huber was affiliated with the Swiss Socialist Party and supported Algerian independence during the Algerian War. His journalistic work covering the conflict brought him into contact with insurgent factions, which ultimately led to his conversion to Islam. He formally embraced Islam at Geneva's Islamic Centre and subsequently at Al-Azhar University in 1962.
Upon returning to Switzerland, Huber developed connections with François Genoud, a financier known for his anti-Israeli activities. This association resulted in his expulsion from the Socialist Party. Thereafter, Huber became involved in far-right politics, particularly in Germany, where he aligned himself with the National Democratic Party of Germany and neo-Nazi organizations, frequently delivering speeches at their gatherings. He admired Ayatollah Khomeini, depicting him as the "living continuation of Adolf Hitler", seeking to forge links between European far-right factions and radical Islamist movements.
Huber also established relationships with the Muslim Brotherhood and held a managerial position at the Swiss-based Al Taqwa Bank. In 2001, US intelligence agencies identified him as a financier supporting terrorism.
Additionally, Huber was active in Holocaust denial, providing financial support to individuals such as Jürgen Graf and Ahmed Rami. He maintained ties with the Institute for Historical Review and took part in organizing an international Holocaust Denial Conference held in Lebanon in 2001.